A Mongoose and Her Troubles
by Dan Prower
Summary: Mina Mongoose has the worst experience of her life, leaving her crushed and heartbroken. When life gets you down you have to stand back up and keep on going; a certain young, twin-tailed fox decides he wants to help Mina with this. This leads him to a realization... Romance as a third genre, but it's kinda one sided. For now. (Image owned by dreamcastgirl101 on DeviantART!)
1. Prologue: A Fight

Introduction ~ A Fight

**Author's Note: This is the first chapter of my first story on fanfiction. I've never been much of a writer but I'm trying to take it up as a hobby. I hope you, as the reader and the judge, will enjoy my work. (The characters and locations in this story are not my creations/ideas, they belong to Archie and SEGA)**

The year 3247. Eggman was finally taken down for good a few months back. Sally and Sonic were able to get back together as a result. Nicole was gradually being more accepted by the citizens again. Everyone was _truly_ recovering from Eggman's wrath for the first time. It was a great year, in my opinion.

Until today, that is.

"Why are you saying this, Ash? How could you?"

"Don't give me that, Mina! You know exactly where I'm coming from! Oh, and another point - who, between the two of us, _provides_ here?"

"What?"

"You heard me!"

"This is _my_ house, Ash! With _my_ stuff in it!"

"Oh, whoopdie-doo! And who pays for the bills? The groceries? Who's paying half on your phone every month, which by the way is more than mine _total_!"

"That… That's not the point, Ash. Why are we even -"

"And you know what _else_? We haven't had se-"

"_Why won't you listen to me_?"

"-ike, four months, Mina! My friend down south is going into hibernation, he's been asleep so long!"

"Is THAT what you care about? Sex! Ash, you're bigger than that.."

Evidently, not at the moment I'm not! In fact, the longer you piss me off, the _smaller_, I should think. And maybe, if you were actually useful for something else once in a while -"

"Wh-what's _that_ supposed to mean, Ash?"

"You don't have a real job! You _sing_. You know who works? ME! I've managed every little detail of every concert you've ever performed!"

"Please, Ash, stop…"

"You know what, Mina? I'm tired of this! Tired of _you_! Go find some other guy to deal with your crap!"

"Wait.. A-are you…"

"Dumping your ass right now."

"B-but, Ash… I-I-I…"

"Shit outta luck, Mina."

*SLAM!*

Watching his curly black hair and thick jacket stomp out the door with the past ten years of her life was the worst moment the poor, purple-haired mongoose could ever remember experiencing. In all her 27 years of life, Mina had never felt so tired, confused, exasperated, upset, lonely, and in pain all at the same time, and all so suddenly. _W-what just happened? _she wondered, _One minute we were discussing what to do for dinner, and then…_ She just couldn't figure it out.

Mina wanted to cry at that moment. _Wanted_ to, but for some reason tears just wouldn't come. Out of pure desperation for comfort, she did the first thing that came to mind. She called up her best friends, the handful of people she knew could help her. _They'll know just what to say…_

**Author's Note: I know this first bit is pretty short. Never fear, the story is going to expand soon. Tails will make his intro eventually… You'll see. Please rate/rev, but NO FLAMES! Thank you, and have a nice day! ~D. Prower**


	2. Chapter 1: She Came, She Saw, She Ran

Chapter 1 ~ She Came, She Saw, She Ran

**Author's Note: The first full chapter has arrived, folks. Bigger, badder, and more twisty than its elder counterpart. Enjoy! (The characters and locations in this story are not my creations/ideas, they belong to Archie and SEGA)**

The morning after the fight, Mina found herself sitting at Chuck's Chili Dogs, waiting for the girls to arrive. Sonic's uncle didn't necessarily run the nicest place in all New Mobotropolis, but Mina wasn't there to eat anyway. The well-known restaurant was a common place of meeting for the Freedom Fighters and their close friends. So there she sat, still pondering over how, in a matter of just a few minutes, the love of her life ended up marching out the door and leaving her.

She hadn't even noticed the arrival of her girlfriends until Sally Acorn appeared next to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. A simple friendly gesture, but Mina just didn't want to let go. "We're here," Sally assured her, "We're here for you, honey." Mina just nodded.

Sally was the princess of the Kingdom of Acorn, and heir to the throne of the kingdom before it became a Republic in 3237. She had also been, for many, many years, the known love interest of Sonic the Hedgehog. After Mina got over her feelings for Sonic when she was younger, she and Sally were able to become good friends. Now Sally and Sonic were together, and as we know, Mina was, until quite recently, with Ash Mongoose.

"Don't y'all fret now, sugah-Mina," said Bunnie D'Coolette, "People fight all the time. I'm sure you and that Ash boy'll be just fine real soon." Bunnie was a Mobian rabbit from the southern regions of the planet who had been partially roboticized during her adolescence. Her life and her free will were saved by the Knothole Freedom Fighters, but she had ended up with the left arm and both legs of a robot. After joining the Freedom Fighters, she eventually met Mina. They got to know each other over time and became friends.

Finally, Amy Rose stepped up. Normally such an energetic and talkative girl, on occasions like these the pink hedgehog generally couldn't offer much more than a warm embrace and a knowing smile. The four girls sat down at Mina's table, and for a few moments none of them made a sound. Then Mina started bawling.

"Shh. It's okay, Mina," Sally cooed, "It'll be okay."

"No it's not! No it won't! Aa-aaahh!" Mina couldn't stop herself from yelling at that comment. She'd been holding in all her emotion for too many silent, sleepless hours now.

"Just let it out, hun. We all know how y'all're feelin'," Bunnie offered.

_No… You couldn't possibly… There's no way, _Mina thought. "B-but," she managed, "I spent t-ten years… I-I loved… thought he… but n-now… I just don't know!"

Mina jumped up and turned toward the restrooms in the back of the restaurant. She was about to make a dash for it and hide in one of the stalls, would've done it, but Amy was too quick. She lunged onto the table and grabbed Mina's hand, holding her back. Mina didn't know what to think.

"I-I'm sorry for d-dragging you all here today," she muttered, "I-I realize how pathetic I'm being, a-and I'm s-sorry for wasting your time…"

"Aw, sugah…"

"Mina, that's not how it is…"

"Okay, look," Amy said strongly, somewhat startling the others because nobody expected her to say much here, if anything, "You didn't have to drag us here, Mina. We're here because we care. There's nothing wrong with your situation. Happens all the time. But that _apology_? THAT was kinda pathetic. Give yourself some slack, girlie!

"I realize the things Ash said to you yesterday shook you. But don't take them to heart. He probably just had an off day. Couples fight every day, Mina. Whether yesterday's spat meant anything residual for your relationship with Ash, I can't say I know," unnoticed by everyone else at the table, Amy took a quick glance at Sally before her next sentence, "Sometimes love may break you, but you just have to learn to live with that.

"You know, what I recommend," Amy began again after a short pause, "Talk to him. It'll be good for both of you. Whatever the case may be in the end, you can work it out _together_."

Mina sniffled a bit. _Wow… They really do care a lot about me. I think I'll take Amy up on her advice._ She gave a small smile. "Thank you, she said to Amy, then turning to the other two, "All of you. I… I guess just talking to him about what happened can't hurt." She chuckled weakly, and the other three girls did the same. The four of them then proceeded to take advantage of their being together and congregate over everything that'd been going on as of late. They had lunch there, and afterward all went their separate ways. Mina had something she wanted to take care of as soon as she could…

* * *

Under normal conditions, it'd take the average Mobian about 10 minutes to jog to Ash's house from Chuck's restaurant. That's not even considering that it was currently half past 2 in the afternoon on a midsummer day in New Mobotropolis. Mina, however, was no average Mobian. Her super-speed abilities, similar to Sonic's, allowed her to get from point A to point B at remarkable speeds; in this case, it took about 14.3 seconds. This was an advantage for Mina, and wanting to speak with Ash as soon as possible, she was especially glad of it today.

She came to a flawless screeching stop right at Ash's front door. _If it weren't for Sonic's help learning to control my speed,_ Mina said to herself,_ either I wouldn't be here yet or I would've just taken out that door completely… but I digress. Heehee!_ Lacking the patience to knock, Mina just let herself into Ash's house. _It's no biggie, I'm sure. He must want to talk, want to solve this, as much as I do… right? Right. This was just a bump in our path… Trust your heart… Where is he, anyway?_

Mina had already looked around the living room and the kitchen, but Ash was nowhere to be seen. She was now looking down the long hallway leading to the bedrooms. _Well, he must be in his room,_ she decided. Mina noticed that Ash had left his jacket and T-shirt from the previous day laying on the floor. _Messy boy, _Mina thought, _it's so cute how he just leaves little things lying around like that._

Walking down the hall and stepping over the clothes, Mina approached Ash's bedroom door. She didn't hear anything from inside, but this time she thought twice and decided to take the polite approach.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

Waiting a few seconds and not getting a response, Mina opened the door and looked inside. "Ash?" There he was, laying in bed with only his boxers, sleeping peacefully. And then Mina realized exactly what she had feared, but not wanted to believe. Lying next to Ash, in all her nude glory, was some burnt-orange-furred cat Mina had never seen before. She had cuddled right up to him in her sleep, and he had his arm around her. _What? Oh, no, _Mina thought, _No, no, no. How could I have been so naïve…_ Mina not knowing what to do in the slightest, she let her body take control of her actions for a moment.

"AAAAAAAHH!"

Ash and the mysterious feline woke with a start. After glancing around for a moment, they figured out where they were and what was going on. Mina stopped screaming as Ash caught her eye, then he chuckled lightly and addressed her.

"Oh, it's only you, Mina. Goodness, you scared me and Cindy half to death. You come to pick up something you left here, or what?"

"Y-you… Cindy? A-and then… What…" This is all Mina could manage to stammer as she stood frozen upright in Ash's bedroom doorway, staring at him and his 'Cindy' girl.

"Look, sorry I'm not exactly dressed to receive, even though it's only… Well would ya look at that, it's nearly 2:45! I guess I- well, _we_- sorta had a PRETTY late night last night," he winked at Cindy, who blushed in return, and then he turned back to Mina. "You seem to have something on your mind. What's up?"

"W-well… Yesterday," Mina began, "You and I, yelling… break up… confused…"

"Oh, you're still on about THAT? Geez, Mina," Ash replied, "I thought I made it pretty clear that we were done. Sorry if I came off as a bit too harsh, or if I didn't clarify myself enough for you. I've moved along."

"I… I can see that," Mina muttered as she glared at Cindy the cat, "What a fool I was… to think… eh…" At this point, she was just about broken. She couldn't take any more… but she also knew she couldn't melt down in front of Ash and that… that _Cindy_ chick. Mina gave her body control over her actions once more… and she ran away from them faster than she'd ever run before.

**Author's Note: Huh? Huh? So much I could say about this chapter! I know it's a bit short again, I still haven't mastered the art of story expansion… It's nearly thrice as long as the intro, though, so… hehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and there's more to come just around the bend (including Tails)! Thanks for reading, please rate/rev/fave and have a good day!**


	3. Chapter 2: Separation Anxiety

Chapter 2 ~ Separation Anxiety

**Author's Note: My apologies in advance, this chapter is somewhat of a cliffhanger. No worries, though, the next one will resolve it! Enjoy. (The characters and locations in this story are not my creations/ideas, they belong to Archie and SEGA. Except for "Mobo-Mart", that was my own lame idea.)**

_What a great day_, Tails thought. He was just heading home from grocery shopping at Mobo-Mart. The warm breeze lightly rustled his soft fur and he thought the sunset this evening was the most dazzling one he'd ever seen. And for a fox of 21 years, that's saying something.

As Tails rounded a corner, he thought that just for a moment, the breeze got swifter and cooler. As soon as the feeling had come, it was gone. _Oh, will he never learn?_ Tails thought. "Come on, Sonic, I know you're around here somewhere! Come out!"

After Tails called out there was a couple seconds delay. Then suddenly, the energetic blue hedgehog zipped out from behind a couple of garbage cans and came to a skidding halt right in front of the two-tailed fox. "Damn it! Every time, dude! How can you tell?"

"Sonic, you will always be the Legendary Blue Blur," Tails replied, "But I've known you far too long for your super-speed crap to get by me."

"Hmm, noted," Sonic decided, "I'll have to work on that."

"Yeah. Good luck with that, shorty," Tails said. He enjoyed teasing Sonic this way, as he'd finally surpassed his best friend's height just a couple of years back. "So what's up?"

Sonic just stood there thinking for a moment, as though he knew what he wanted to say, but simply couldn't form the right words. Finally he began to speak. "Well… Ya know how Mina and Ash have been goin' out all these years?"

At the mention of the two mongooses, Sonic immediately had Tails' full attention. _Where is he going with this?_ Tails wondered. "Um… yeah. Why?"

"Well," Sonic began, "the way I hear it, they're split up. As of yesterday."

"_What_? What happened?"

"Mind you, I didn't hear it directly from either of them," Sonic revealed. "This afternoon I was hangin' out with Sal. She said Ash and Mina had a big fight yesterday, and he basically dumped her like yesterday's trash. But Mina wasn't so sure that it was really _over_. So earlier today, she decided to go over to Ash's place and talk to him about it.

"I guess that didn't go so well," he continued, "Sally and I were out walking earlier, and when we passed near Mina's house we heard really loud sobbing coming from inside. Sal said she's gonna drop by tomorrow morning to check on Mina. I feel bad for her too, but I've never been good at handling this stuff…"

After hearing all this, Tails looked about ready to explode. _Why, that little…_ "Ash, you selfish, sadistic prick!" he exclaimed, seemingly not to anyone in particular. "I mean, uh," he mumbled, realizing that he had just totally flipped out, "that… that really sucks. I'll have to stop by too, at some point, and give her my best." _Why did I just freak out like that?_

Sonic had raised one eyebrow in response to Tails' initial reaction. However, he seemed to be letting it go since Tails had calmed down a bit. "Yeah. Me too," he said. "Well, anyway, just thought I'd let'cha know, little bro. It's odd, isn't it? They seemed so good together."

"Yeah… Hm," Tails said. _Yet for some reason it really doesn't seem that bad that they've broken up… Just that she's hurt… _Tails pondered over this.

"Oh well," Sonic began again, "I gotta juice! Catch ya later, T!"

"Yeah." Tails waved as Sonic dashed off. _Hm… Sonic's one of those people that will just never change, I suppose. Hehe._ He began walking again, but at a much slower pace than before. Tails was quite lost in his thoughts. _I wonder what could've happened between those two to break them up after over 10 years._ It was just so odd. He couldn't figure out why Ash would do such a thing to a great girl like Mina. _Not that it's so far out of character…_

_And another thing. How come I'm so enraged over this news, yet so… okay with it?_ This really got Tails thinking. It's not like their relationship had anything to do with him. _Could it be…_ he pondered over a possibility that had just come to him. _Maybe… I had never really thought about it. I'll just have to wait and see. It's not like I can act on it right now anyway… _And with that thought, Tails decided to dismiss the subject for the time being and carry on home.

* * *

Mina woke up on the floor in the living room of her small one-story house. She was covered in a thick layer of sweat, grime, and tears. Not that she cared at this point, it wasn't any different from yesterday, or the day before. Mina had hardly eaten, not washed, and had difficulty finding sleep ever since the man she once loved shattered her heart.

It was Tuesday. Three days after Ash had confirmed the breakup. Mina was upset after the initial fight, but there was no comparison to how distraught she was as soon as she realized her relationship was really over. _Completely_ over. Forever. It was just too much. _And to think, I was under the impression we were in love…_ Mina couldn't bear this thought and tears began rolling down her face again as she lay on her side in the fetal position.

Mina thought she must be one bad confrontation away from going insane. Because she would prefer to keep her mental stability out of the question, she had been trying her best to block out the people that had been coming by her house to see her. She had ripped her phone's battery out the day before, because she was tired of all the calls she didn't want to answer. Mina thought about all the people that had come by to see her since Sunday morning.

Her mother Isabella, being a loving and nurturing mother, knew when Mina needed her. Naturally she was the first to appear. She had tried to talk to Mina, figure out what was wrong, assure her that whatever it was couldn't be "the end of Mobius". Mina heard her, but was not listening, she could only sit there sobbing and wondering when she'd be left alone again. Unfortunately for her, not for a while yet.

Isabella hadn't even been gone ten minutes when Sally came knocking at the door. She knew Mina was there, so after a couple of minutes with no response, she let herself in. Mina heard Sonic come in after her.

Sally had taken a similar approach to Mina's mother. She started hushing Mina and telling her everything would be okay, but to no avail. This only made Mina feel worse. She knew everything would not be okay, because she didn't know what to do with herself. There was a gaping hole in her heart, and Mina was not a one-size-fits-all type of girl. She needed someone special. Someone she could love with all her being, and who would love her back just as passionately… Where was she supposed to find that type of relationship now…

Sonic, seeing that Sally was getting nowhere with Mina, suggested that they give her some more time to be alone. Try again later. Sally sat there petting Mina's long purple hair for a moment as she thought about this. Reluctantly she agreed with him, and the couple left.

More people came by one or two at a time. Mina named a few she could remember in her head. Knuckles, Bunnie & Antoine, Amy & Cream, Rotor, Rouge. Some simply offered their best wishes and went on their way. A few stayed awhile and tried to console Mina. But none of them really helped, because none of them had what she really needed.

After thinking over all this, Mina realized that there was one thing everyone had said that was true. _It's not the end of the world._ She got up, and for the first time in several days she went and took a shower. After she was clean, Mina proceeded to brush her teeth and hair, put on some fresh clothes, and pour herself a bowl of cereal. _I suppose I can't lie there and weep over one guy forever, _she thought. _Life must go on, and I'd better go with it._

* * *

Coincidentally, Tails was taking off of work this particular Tuesday. He had recently finished helping Nicole with a big power output inverter project for one of the many terminals she used to access New Mobotropolis' nanite control mainframe. As there was no other work that needed urgent attention, Tails just went in on Monday to file some documents for reference and decided to take the rest of the week off.

When he woke up that morning, Tails didn't know what to do with his time. He hadn't taken a day off work in quite some time, not to mention four. _Should I just relax and sit around home today? Should I go visit the Chao Garden? See a movie?_ He pondered over these ideas. _I have no idea what I'm gonna do today._ Then something hit him. He remembered his conversation with Sonic just the other day…

_That's what I'll do! I'll go see how Mina's doing. I bet she'd like some company…_

* * *

About three quarters of an hour later, Tails found himself flying up to Mina's house. He landed at the side of the road and made the last stretch up the walkway on foot. Suddenly he was having second thoughts. _What if she just wants to be alone right now? _Tails couldn't help but worry that he'd just be an annoyance. _The way Sonic said it, it sounded like she was pretty upset…_

As quickly as he'd started worrying, Tails caught himself. _Oh, what the hell, _he thought. _I'm already here so I may as well try and help._ Tails gathered up his thoughts and approached the front door. He knocked, and only had to wait a few seconds before he heard "Just a minute!" from somewhere inside. His bright orange fur stood on end and his namesake twin tails twitched every few seconds from nervousness. After a moment, the sound of footsteps came shuffling up behind the door. "Who is it?" a female's voice queried.

"It's Tails," replied the young vulpine, "Tails Prower."

"Oh!" The door swung open with just a slight creaking sound, revealing behind it none other than Nicole the Lynx. "Miles! Why, it's been _such_ a long time."

"Hah! Good to see you, Nicole," Tails greeted her, "I see you've brought your sense of humor with you today.

"Sarcasm is just another free service I offer." Nicole winked. The AI Lynx was wearing her standard dark purple dress today, but there was something different about her. Tails then noticed that she had her black hair down, flowing past her shoulders and about halfway down her back. She looked truly stunning, but honestly Tails was a bit stunned just to have met her here at Mina's home.

Ever since Mina and Nicole had their little quarrel over the Iron Dominion back in '37, there had been some obvious residual tension between the two of them. However, they _had_ technically made up, and Nicole had always been more caring and friendly than many other Mobians Tails could think of. _I guess she's just genuinely concerned about Mina,_ Tails thought.

Realizing that it was his turn to speak, Tails quickly thought up a reply. "It's just as well. I suppose she could use some extra good-natured humor right now," he said, referring to Mina.

"My thoughts exactly. However, compared to what I've heard, she seems to be doing much better today than she's been," Nicole remarked. "Well, I'm sorry to say that I must be off. Best of luck getting conversation out of her, although she's up and about she was still hardly acknowledging my presence. Farewell, Miles!"

Without giving Tails another chance to respond, Nicole was out the door and briskly pacing away from the house. As she reached the road's edge, she disappeared in a wave of bright green electronic particles. _I wish I could do that,_ Tails joked to himself. He turned back to the now empty doorway and called out, "Hello?" Nothing.

Tails figured that since Mina already knew there was somebody else here, he could go ahead and let himself in. He made sure to wipe his brown leather workboots on the mat outside, then entered the house and shut the door behind him. He took in his surroundings as he continued inward.

Tails had entered a small foyer connected directly to Mina's living room. There was a half bathroom inside the wall opposite him, and at the far corner of the living room there was a hallway that seemed to lead to the rest of the house. "Hello?" Tails called again, "Mina?"

"In the kitchen," came the reply. Tails approached the previously mentioned hallway. Around one corner he saw a light on. _Well, here I go,_ the fox thought. With that, he went up to the doorway and entered the kitchen.

**Author's Note: I told you there would be an unresolved end to this chapter. But what's life without a little whimsy? Thank you for reading, please rate/rev/sub and have a good day! ~Dan P**


	4. Chapter 3: Keep Moving Forward

Chapter 3 ~ Keep Moving Forward

** Author's Note: The final chapter of my first story has come at last, everyone. I hope it was worth the wait, and I hope you enjoy it! (The characters and locations in this story are not my creations/ideas, they belong to Archie and SEGA)**

* * *

_Continuing from where we left off..._

Tails rounded the corner and entered Mina's kitchen. It was a nice little kitchen, pretty basic if not somewhat dark-tinted. Walnut cabinets and drawers, with a granite countertop. The stove was near the fridge, one cabinet-space between them, the two-sided sink on the catty-cornered wall. And there she was, leaning back against the counter in front of the sink, clutching a cup of hot tea with both hands. She was in a simple white T-shirt and casual gray shorts. Her long lavender hair was flowing a little ways down her back, but still a bit messy as she hadn't brushed it after her shower earlier.

The young vulpine just stood in the doorway watching Mina drink her beverage for a moment. She stared back at him. They didn't speak; or rather, not with their mouths. They began conversing with common understanding through their facial expressions.

'_How are you?_' Tails seemed to ask, raising an eyebrow and giving Mina knowing eyes.

With a purse of her lips and a shrug of her shoulders, followed by a forlorn glance, Mina tried to tell him something like, '_Not great... but better._'

'_I'm sorry about what happened,_' Tails thought.

Mina seemed to understand what he was conveying, and gave him a look that said, '_It's okay. It... happens, I guess._'

"It's just... why did this have to happen to _you_?" Tails wondered, finally out loud. Oops. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Mina was quite taken aback. Whether she simply hadn't realized that neither of them had been talking before, or wasn't expecting Tails to begin speaking so suddenly, didn't matter. It was what he said. _What exactly does he mean by that?_ She really didn't know what to make of the inquiry. _I consider Tails my friend, but... how much does he care about me? _Mina's cheeks went just a tad pink, and she really hoped Tails didn't notice.

Tails was no better off as far as knowing why he'd blurted out such a thing. And all he could tell now about Mina's thoughts was that she was confused. He didn't blame her. _Great... What are you saying, genius? _Don't be mistaken, Tails did care about Mina. But to what extent... Even the two-tailed fox himself couldn't be sure. Then that thought from the other day popped into his head.

_ Is it possible that... I have a thing for Mina? _Well, that was a silly question. _Don't kid yourself, Tails, of course it is. She's kind. She's funny, she's sweet. ...She's attractive. _That just about decided it. Tails was sure he liked Mina. And then he realized that now was not the time to be figuring that out. She was still staring at him, now with one eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. _Oh shit! I bet I look really stupid right now._ He began trying to speak. "I- uh... What I meant by that, was, um..."

He was cut off by Mina attacking him with a big hug. "Thank you, Tails." Tails was about 5 or 6 inches taller than her nowadays, so her head rested on his shoulder. He began to blush, and she looked up at him with a small but sweet smile. "Thank you for caring."

Tails wasn't sure how to react to Mina's gesture. He had just figured out how much he liked this girl, and now she had thrown herself on him. _This can't be what I wish it was... She just went through a hard break-up. She's just expressing her gratitude, that's all._ He lifted his arms slowly and tried to wrap them around Mina's back. _But I should at least make the most of this moment._ Tails mirrored her smile. "Ah, think nothing of it. I'm sure lots of people came by."

"Oh, no! You're right..." Mina jumped back and stood up straight as she realized that all her other friends that had come to talk to her had been rudely rejected. "I have to apologize to everybody for how I've been acting recently," she decided. _I've been in such bad shape..._

"I'm sure they understand," Tails assured Mina. "It's not every day one breaks up with their significant other of ten years..." He cringed just slightly at this thought. _I hope she gets over him okay._

"Yes, but... These past few days I haven't really even been upset about Ash anymore. I got over him as soon as I saw him with that bitch... (This made Tails feel a bit better) I've just been feeling sorry for myself. It's stupid, really." Mina's eyes dropped with this last comment, and a bit of her self-respect crumpled up and tossed itself away.

Tails didn't like that she was thinking this way. "Don't talk like that," he said. "Nothing you do is stupid." _Oh, there I go again, being all mushy. I'm about to give myself away... _But Mina actually giggled a bit.

"Oh, Tails, stop it," she said playfully, looking back at Tails again. She batted a hand in his general direction and blushed lightly once again. _He's so sweet... I wonder why he's not pursuing a relationship._

Tails wanted to change the subject. He decided to try something. "Mina, would you like some company?"

Mina wasn't sure what Tails meant. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Yes, but what I was getting at was, do you want to spend the day with me. Talk, hang out, you know. You haven't had much Mobian-to-Mobian interaction lately, so I just thought..." _Oh, she's going to reject me, isn't she? Why would she want my company, of all the peop-_

"Of course!" Mina's enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming, even for herself. Tails jumped a bit. _Whoa, slow your role there, girl._ "Er, that'd be great! But..." She looked down at herself, and then back up to his face. "I'm not exactly dressed to go out or anything. Give me five minutes, K?" She cocked her head ever so slightly to her left and awaited acknowledgment from Tails. He nodded, and she squealed giddily, racing off toward her bedroom.

Tails leaned up against the counter where Mina had just been standing. He could hardly contain his excitement. _What a way to spend my day off! Getting together with a friend._ But Tails knew that in the long run, he wanted more than that. He wondered if it'd ever be possible...

_...for her to love me back._

* * *

After waiting in the kitchen for what must've been at least 25 minutes, Tails was starting to wonder what Mina could possibly be doing in her room. _This reminds me of what mom used to do when I was twelve... Do all women take this long to get ready?_ And as soon as this thought entered his mind, he heard a door slam and Mina came rushing back into the kitchen. The first thing Tails was able to process when he saw her was -

"Whoa." And whoa indeed.

Mina's attire wasn't all that extraordinary, nor was it extremely different from her usual. But Tails thought she looked beautiful. She had put on a black skirt that cut off at her mid thigh, but just a tad bit higher than her usual light brown shorts. It had a lavender trim around the base, almost perfectly matching her hair. _Her hair..._ She had straightened it out and it flowed gracefully down her back, all the way to her waist. She was wearing a teal-colored tank top that was similar to the black one she often chose. Only this one was about a size smaller, and hugged her bosom in such a way that made it quite apparent. She wore her standard teal boots with a black stripe on each. But today what set her apart the most from her usual attire was the lack of accessories. No long gloves hiding most of her arms, no headband restricting her long, magnificent hair. She hadn't even put her earrings in. _She looks so... natural right now, so free._

While Tails stood in awe, observing Mina's choice of attire, the young mongoose stood shyly a few feet away. Her feet were pointed slightly inward, hands behind her back and shoulders shrugged up almost to her ears. "Um... so where do you want to go?" she asked. _I hope I don't look too silly..._

Tails was practically speechless, he knew it was rude to stare but he couldn't help himself. _I haven't seen her in so long, I-I have to let this sink in... So beautiful..._ "Er..." Tails made an attempt to speak. "Y-you... you look... different, Mina. F-from what I remember, I mean." _Great, speak like a babbling buffoon... Nice job, slick._

Mina wasn't too ecstatic about Tails' statement. _Oh no,_ she thought. _I shoulda figured..._ The next few sentences came out rushed and exasperated, with a hint of embarrassment. "I knew it... I shouldn't have tried to change it up. Just stick with what you know, right? I look really silly, don't I? Oh... Let me go change again. I'll be back quick this time, I promise."

And with that, she spun around on one foot and reared back to dash off. But in that split second, something snapped in Tails' mind and he sprung into action. "Wait!" He leaped at Mina just before she was able to take off, and clasped his left hand around her right arm. Mina was emitting waves of shock and some surprise. _What's he doing?_ she wondered. She turned her head around to face her captor.

Now it was Tails' turn to be frantic in his speech. "That's not what I meant, Mina. Not at all. I meant _good_ different. You look so... so carefree, yet so modest." _So beautiful,_ he wanted desperately to add, but he didn't want to cross any lines. _I haven't Mina in probably over a year... I don't want to overwhelm her, she doesn't need that._ "You should dress like this more often," he continued. "I've known you so long, but I feel like this is the first time I'm seeing the real you."

Although the caring young fox had not wanted to overwhelm Mina, that was almost what happened when he started telling her all these kind things. "Y-you..." she began in reply. _How do I even __respond to something like that? Tails is such a nice guy. Is it possible to be too nice?_ "...You really think so?" she asked him, her eyes shining.

Tails gave only a small, sincere nod in reply. Mina began to tear up, her body shivering from head to toe. "Oh! Hey, what's wrong?" Tails asked. He had both her shoulders in his hands now, and was looking at her straight on, but Mina had her head tilted down so he couldn't see her face. Little did Tails know, she actually had a shy grin on her face. Her head began swinging from side to side slowly, as though she were trying to convey 'no' for some reason. What Mina would do next left Tails flustered and baffled, not to mention blushing profusely.

The golden mongoose lurched at the two-tailed vulpine and wrapped him in the warmest hug he could remember ever receiving, including the one just earlier that morning. He couldn't even return the gesture, as his arms were locked at his side by hers. But that was okay. "Mmph... Mina, what's going on?"

"Thank you again," Mina offered. "For coming to see me today. For being so kind to me... For being such an amazing friend. I can't thank you enough."

There was that word. _'Friend',_ Tails thought. _...I guess that'll just have to do for now. _"It's nothing," he told her. "I'm just doing what I see fit to do. I'm sure you'd do the same for me." He smiled widely with a knowing expression, and she mirrored the look once again. "So... what do you want to do today?"

"Anything," Mina admitted. "I just want to get out of the house for awhile."

"Well alright then."

* * *

Mina and Tails spent the rest of the day together, venturing all over the city and doing anything that came to mind. They went bowling, skipped stones at the lake, had lunch at Luigi's Pizzeria, and went Ice-Skating at Mobotropolis Mega Mall. They even visited the carnival that was in town for the next couple of weeks, where Tails discovered his new favorite food – cotton candy.

"You've really never tried it before?" Mina queried, honestly a bit surprised.

"I really haven't. I guess the opportunity has arisen once or twice, but I never really thought much of it." Tails was being completely serious, but Mina just couldn't believe it. She decided she had to buy him one.

"My treat," she told him, handing him a cone and then ripping off a piece of her own.

Hesitantly, but gratefully, Tails took the paper cone with the pink wool-like substance wrapped around it. He tore off a small piece of the sugary fluff and placed it in his mouth. "What do you think?" Mina asked.

Tails' eyes lit up and he began ripping off pieces directly with his teeth; soon the whole thing was gone. "It's delicious!" he exclaimed after the last bite was gone. "Thanks, Mina!"

She giggled for a second, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm glad you like it."

As the sun began sinking past the horizon, Tails and Mina decided it was time to leave. They returned to Mina's house, stopping at the front door. Mina stepped up to the door and before unlocking it, turned around to face Tails. "Would you like to come in and watch a movie, or something?"

Tails grinned. _I'd like nothing more._ "Sure, I'd love to."

Mina smiled widely at him with her eyes closed. She then proceeded to spin back around and open the door, letting herself in and leaving it open for Tails to follow. After excusing herself to use the restroom, but not changing, Mina returned to the living room where Tails was waiting for her. He had sat down on the edge of the couch, leaning forward on his arms with his hands folded.

Mina wasted no time picking out a movie, turning off the main light and settling herself on the couch a few inches away from Tails. As the movie started, Tails saw that it was an Action/Adventure film. _Odd choice for a girl,_ Tails couldn't help thinking. _But oh well. Being unique is never a bad thing._ And with that, he sat with Mina and watched the movie.

What neither of the two noticed was that every time there was a loud gunshot or a big explosion, Mina jumped a little and ended up slightly closer to Tails than before. This finally occurred to him when she was practically on top of him, leaning on his right side. Mina still didn't seem to notice, however, and Tails didn't mind in the least. So they watched the rest of the movie together like this, without a care in the world.

* * *

Tails woke up the next morning and got out of his bed. As he went downstairs to make some breakfast, he heard a *DING-DONG!* sort of sound resonating through his house. _Who could that be at... What time is it, anyway?_ But it didn't really matter. He walked up to the front door and opened it, and to find who else but Mina, standing there in a set of pink pajamas, her hair somewhat frazzled still from sleep. _She must've come over right when she woke up._

"Oh! Morning, Mina. What's up?"

"I woke up this morning and... I realized something."

"Well, what is it?" Tails asked. _I wonder what's up._

"Umm," she replied shyly, "it's hard to explain. I'll just have to show you." Without giving Tails the chance to say or do anything else, she attacked him with one of those bear-hugs that she seemed to be getting so good at. But this time, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around Tails' waist, so her deep green eyes were level with his bright blue ones. Tails decided he could stare into those eyes forever, before Mina thrust into a long kiss, locking her lips with a very surprised Miles Prower. He was quite taken aback, but he accepted the kiss gladly and returned it.

_This is almost too good to be true. _Tails was drowning in wondrous bliss, knowing this was exactly what he wanted. _It _is _too good to be true,_ he realized. _It's like this is -_

Tails woke up. He knew it, but he had wished so deeply that somehow he was wrong. _...A __dream..._

He looked around. He was still at Mina's house, he discovered, still wearing the same brown gloves and boots from yesterday. This had become his favorite outfit lately, and he had multiple sets of it. He thought it made him look tougher and cooler than the white gloves and red sneakers he had preferred during his childhood and adolescence. But, back to the point, Tails found himself still sitting (though slouching now) on Mina's living room couch. He looked down to see that she was still there too, also in the same clothes she wore yesterday, and with her arms wrapped around his waist. She was sleeping like a rock.

_Or rather, like an angel,_ Tails thought. He removed her arms from their position around him, slowly and carefully. He stood up carefully, trying not to move the cushions too much, and placed a pillow as far under Mina's head as he dared. _She's really out. I guess she hasn't gotten much good sleep as of late._ Tails decided he'd leave her to rest. _Sleep soundly, Mina,_ he thought as he stood over her still form. _I guess I'll see you later. _He leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on Mina's right cheek, and she shifted just slightly in her sleep, the corners of her mouth bending upwards a bit. With that, Tails made his way to the front door and opened it, ready to go. "I love you..." He whispered this, took one last longing look at the mongoose he wished he could have, and was gone.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hooray! I've finally finished the last chapter of **_**A Mongoose and Her Troubles**_**! Took long enough, huh? ;P But as I say it's "finished", I hope none of you think this is really the end for these two. I wouldn't just leave Mina all alone and Tails longing for her love. That'd be cruel. So keep an eye or two open for the sequel to this story - **_**Love Finds A Way**_**! I may not be starting this fic for a while, but if you're reading this some time in the future it may already be there, so be sure to check! That's all for now, y'all. Please rate/rev/fav, thank you for reading and have a good day!**


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